The Wahpeton times., 1887-12-29
CAUGHT n a QUic;;KsAND,.1
The Terrible Situation OF . sc. 1.....is
HuntaH. =. M

The Terrible situation OF . Sc. 1.ss.is
Hunter.
Otto and Ernst Bertrand, two young
men of Carondelet put their shotgans on
their shoulders last Wednesday morn
ing about daybreak. says 7Ae st.
Louis Globe Democrat. slung their
game-bags at their sides, and after cat
ing a hearty breakfast in their parents
house. No. 6.S24 South Broadway.
started off to spend three days duck
hunting among the lakes of the Amer
ican bottom, on the other side of the
river. They had skiff moored near
their house and crossed the river in 1t,
hiding the boat in u little cove, between
Cahokia and East Carondelet, when
they had reached tho other side and
were starting for the lakes. They had
fair luck hunting and started home
yesterday morning. When they got to
Cahokia. Ernst, who had tho heavier
bag Of ducks. told Otto that he would
cross BY the ferry and sell his game in
the Union market. Otto assentcd, and
made his way alone to tho boat. He
missed the path. and attempting to
reach the slSltf by following the bank of
the river he plounged into black,
filthy. and tenacious quicEsand. His
right leg went into the n,irc over its
knee ut the first step. and tie other leg
followed it. sinking up to the thigh be-
fore llc understood he was in Il q,,ag-
mire He tired to cxtricate himself,
and could not. Both his lcy were tight
ly c]asped by the mad. and moved not
an inch. He shouted for help, lieard
no reply. and then remembered that the
nearest house was two miles away. Ii
seemed to him that he was sinking
deeper in the quicksand. and then it
came to his mind for the first time that
men had lost their lives in such places
and their bodies had never been found.
He grew frantic, and screamed at the
top of his voice, and waved his arms
about. beating the mud, and catching
ut little stones and roots that appeared
in it. He tried to move his fettcrcd
legs. and found that his body up to his
waist was dead. He was clasped in an
embrace That knew no relaxing. He
| lost Il senses. his mind wandered he
thought of those he had left ut home,
his brother who had just lclt him; he
cried. and feebly pattercd his hands in
the mud until his face was s,reaked
with it. Then the thought came to him
suddenly that lie was about to dio by
suffocation. and in an agony of terror
lie lifted his voice and cried, for help
again. The sky looked down upon him
clear and joyful, and mockcd him with
its calmness. He tried to kill himself.
His shotgun had been on his shoulder
when he stepped into the quicksand.
and he looked for it. intending to shoot
himself. 1t had sunk. He continued
to struggle, and became inscnsible,
but continued to utter cries of distress
in his Inconsistencies. He had fallen
into the quicksand at 9 o'clock in the
morning. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon
q negro boatman came rowing along
from Calokia and heard him moaning
He pulled his boat in and tried to pull
the hunter out of tile mud. Bertrand
BY this time. had sunk up to his arm
pits in the quicksand. The negro saw
that he was unable to save the young
man. and rowcd back to Cal,okia, four
miles away, where hc got two other
men. When the boat got back to Bcr-
trand lie had sunk unit only his head
and neck we're visible. and it was two
hours before the three boatmen could
get him oat of the mud. He was taken
home at once and put to bed, and is
now rapidly recovering.